For now, anyway. Vesely was the one sure lottery pick left of this year’s crop of international players announced for the NBA draft, possibly the only one to go in the first round. However he and his agent told DraftExpress.com that he has decided to stay overseas this season.

Playing in the NBA has been my dream since I started to play basketball. But, to be ready for this, I feel now is the time for me to continue to work hard to realize that goal in near future.

According to DraftExpress, who has scouted him in person, Vesely is a fantastic athlete and a classic European big man in the Nowitzki/Gasol mode — he’s 6’11” guy who can fill the lane on the break and shoots well from the midrange. He also loves to finish at the rim with big dunks. However, at age 20 the Cezch Republic native is still somewhat raw with his shot creation and the ball handling needed to do that at the NBA level.

It may not be the worst call. The European players who have not succeeded here have tended to be ones who came to America too young and could not adjust. He plays for BC Partizan in Belgrade, a team that plays in a high level of European competition; he is getting paid and getting good seasoning.

He is expected to be part of next year’s draft, although if the labor situation in the NBA is not cleared up by a year from now (and it likely will not be) he may stay in Europe longer. A number of players like Vesely may choose to stay and get paid one more year overseas rather than get drafted into a lockout situation here.